John L. Hoover, III, 67, of Princeton, NJ, passed away peacefully at home on April 18, 2025.
Born in Norristown, PA, John spent most of his life in Princeton and graduated from Princeton High School in 1976. John continued his education at Ashland University and the University of Maryland. He had an enduring love for nature, the outdoors and especially the ocean — his happiest moments were spent down the shore. John served on the Avalon Beach Patrol for seven summers, keeping a watchful eye on the young children vacationing at the Helen Diller Vacation Home for Blind Children. He found joy in the camaraderie of his fellow lifeguards and excelled in singles and doubles South Jersey Lifeguard rowing races.
As a cancer survivor in the early 2000s, John faced his battle with remarkable strength, courage, and determination, supported by the talented doctors at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ. His resilience carried him through remission, allowing him many more years with those he loved.
John’s warmth and generosity were boundless. A gentle soul with an insatiable curiosity, he had a quiet wisdom that drew people in. He found joy in learning, music, laughter, and in the natural beauty of the world around him. In recent years he devoted himself to caring for his beloved mother, Jean, offering her companionship and unwavering love until her passing in 2024.
Preceded in death by his parents Jean H. and John L. Jr, John will be dearly missed and lovingly remembered as he leaves behind a family who cherished him: his sister and brother-in-law, Curry H. and Scott Simmel; three brothers and two sisters-in-law, Stuart G. and Carey Hoover, Eric D. Hoover, and Christian C. and Marianne Hoover; nieces and nephews Sarah and Whitney Reynolds, Alexandra and Samuel Stabert, Eric W. and Mary Hoover, Anne and Griffin Cardew, John R. and Sara Hoover, Grace B. Hoover, and several great nieces and nephews, all of whom carry his memory in their hearts.
Funeral arrangements will be private under the direction of the Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, Princeton.
